Process for the treatment of refractory zinc-lead ores.



ND R11. Vi" 351]) (3 N (humor lllll l.

Hgitciltvut ion ca Application til -.1 Soplcnihhi' i and useful Process for tho 'lreatiuml of ill"- 't'ract ry Linc-lfiezul hi-w. of which the Fol lowing in a Sllfitillfiliti'fl].

"lhis in'ventum has tor its; ohirvf ilw tr at-- ment of refractory (fitfillpl fif :ainr' -h-ad oresin-h as are not amenable Ratirztiustoi-l ly to the ordinary nieliods ot' ll'thttlllltlt' hr Will centration and smelting an ilillit'ulty is M:- perionoed in scparatii'i the f Zilil' t'roni tho lead.

The essential feature of tllh: ioipi-o iil treatment lion-Yin the tfmwmuim ol' all tllo zin into Rulta es in ulhirh form they :lt'v

soluble in Water and can lav ri:ititl':ivl i'..'- HGI'HHiLtttl 'tron'i tho load h li \iriation. 'lhi converzsion ill-l4) sul'i'airsl lawllratryl li u Iluv usuorriatiim undo! liavorahl ooihlili nei o'l' lira of the ror xted r vuh'iuml oro with hisultate of sodium or ni r 'ltil' which material of small con'iiiiuwinl mluv tJtll'lLl' practically a wantiproihii t in tho omnut'a 'tlll'l: of sulfuric and nitric mill.

The ore is first oasted or fll fltllitl to drive oil the excess o't erzllur. mill \i'hilu hy zhh. roi'ieting' a eonsiderahle amount: otlho Xlilt inay he ii -"inverted into soluhlr xlll'i utc'. ol' zinc. n. largo pro 'mrtioii ol' it i; in tho form of (mill ot zinc and ti-ri'zitw oi" 'Alll \Mllltll are insoluble in Water. it i\ l'or lhe vonrru sion of th ,e two last inaoluhh' (oi-nu; ol' xinv into soluhle siilihtej-v hat i s the ohjmi (it the treatment lioreinatmdesr-rihol. a. in soluble form the zinc may h rea lily HIYJ' rated by iiiiciviatioril'rom the nullalr ol' hunt, which is insoluble.

The nraetiw of tho l'il't:;""

The liisuiitatc oi .--.o-1liuin crushed and in than n'iixcll with tlu- (minim-d ore) in the pn'iportiou oi from iii to iit'toou per limit. of hiisultatv of iroiliuui to tho Hililg'l no] Weight of the ore. thril in. the weight of the ore hel'ore it is cnl rriood. This; mixtur is then liioltfg'lzt in a dull. red littll' in a revoi' 'wmtor turimw.

in ractice the pulverinw'l hindt'ate of so dium is added in thr ii'al invil ore in the same furnace in whirh that oro has heen (alcirml after the calcining has: liven oll'orted. l lo action at once I'W'L'HIS in the throat-(- and tho temperature riva in a ten: minutes: lo a bright red heat consequent on :llhfl} reai'ftiori.

i a Follow:

'al' rm txed Oct. 15, 1912.

Jerinl No. (552,047.

1mm l-( notwl that tho product is not at any lion llttltlt'l or fuwil hut retains its eonli ion .lh :i loose disintegrated powder. The proihu-t i lllrli \\'itlul1'zi\vn from the furnace and ui'lor living allowed to partially cool is tl-lliii in \ratrr to whieh a small proportion of tilt hi hil'alr of sodium has been added. The \-E\ltl' llQh'Oli'l5 tho sulfate of zinc and #t-[mt'fltls it from the ni'iltate of lead and l :1!-ll nullatrol' iron which are not soluble in r: a. t or.

'l'hiaddition of the small proportion of hi-hlll-uu oi sodium to the t'ater by which tho zll'lii'lll i: waiahed mmverts any Small i uahtitioe oi thrzinc intro sulfates which miaht po-dhlv have escaped the previous trout un-ol oi vonwrsion in the reverheratory furnace. and insures complete recovery of tin im-tiil nahu 'lhe zinc may be recovered from llli. llltl(;. l by any suitable process, ru-h I la eh-l-irolytic treatment. The prim -i lo of tho p;"i: f:-;:-? lion in the conversion of :ill tho Zlli! values into soluble sulfates sons to he :w jiarahle from the lead by washing.

is: pzwaiioirdy explained, the prelimihary whiningoi lhu oru, although it drives of? tho M m; of nult'or learns a quantity of zinc in tho l'oi'ui ot' oxirls and l'erratest, and the i-izposuro of th n-( in tho reverheratory furna e in amsoviation with the bisulfate Of St)- dium vonwrla them into soluble sulfates.

.tlthough lllt' process has been described as for th rw-owry of zinc values, it will obriom-ly (TUYUI tho recovery of such metals :i-: 1n:iii;.rani-;-;i-, which in these refractory ores i: i-omnu-nly awriatetl with the zinc and ill t'oi-m valuable by-produet in the iroatnwnt. many canes the value of the .i hwnvso will exceed that of the zinc. The ll'lt 'l-? are. however, simultaneously recorl'lili it' hr the Hlllll. treatn'ient.

ilu: i -ohms a described is an exceedingly .--:-iuiph rt-onou'iieal and utl'ective one enabling whoa: lo he derived Min ores, which are unattainable by any known treatment.

ill-wing;- now pi'irtieularly described my invention a nd the detail particulars of the treatment. I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in hr Lott: Patent, is:

.l. A iirocees for the neparation of zinc and manganeue from complex Ol*f.'. which c-outprh: S mixing the roasted ore with l isullath of sodium in n reverberntory furna e, and applying heat thereto to as ist the ro action, ini'iintainiog the heat of the mixture Q Loenoce iviating the same to dissolve out the soluble sulfates.

3. The process of separating zinc from complex ores which resides in calcining the ore, mixing the same with pulverized bisul fate of sodium, applying suliicient heat to the mass to start the reaction, retaining said mass in its loose or disintegrate, powdery form, and then cooling the" mass and washing the' same with Witter containing a small proportion of bisulfate of sodium.

' 4. The process of separating the metals-tin complex ores by heating 100 parts of the ore with from 5 to 1 5 parts of niter cake, maintaining the heat of reaction below thesinter forming or agglomeration point, and subseouently nxiviating the mass to recover the soluble sulfate.

5. The process of separating zinc and manganese fromconiplex ores which resides in first roasting the ore to drive 0E the excess of sulfur, then adding to the mass crushed bisulfate of sodium in the proportion from 5 to 1.3 per cent. of hisulfate of sodium to the original Weight of the ore before it has been calcined, then applying heat to the mixture to bring the mass to a (lull red heat at a tenu'ierature below the sinter forming point, and subsequently recovering the soluble sulfates formed by the reaction, by lixiviation 6. The process of separating zinc andmangzmese lrom complex ores which resides in first l'OfiS'Ul'lg the ore to drive 0% the excess of sulfur, then adding to the mass crushed bisulfate of sodium in the proportion from 5 to 15 per cent. of bisulfate of so- Y dium to the original weight of the ore before it has been calcined, then applying heat to the mixture to bring the mass to a dull red heat at a temperature below the fusion point, and subsequently recovering the soluble sulfates formed by the resultant mass by lixiviation with Water containing bisulfate of sodium.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW eonnou FRENCH;

Witnesses:

ROWLAND BRHTAIN, WM. S. SOUTAR. 

